matthews



UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

J. M. MATTHEWS, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

CARPET-BAG.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 23,596, dated April 12, 1859.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. M. MATTHEWS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carpet-Bags; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specication, in which Figure l, is an end view of a carpet bag having my invention applied to it. Fig. 2, a side view of ditto with a portion removed in order to show clearly my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two ligures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of carpet bags that are formed of two parts, or, have two distinct frames connected by joints so that the bags may be opened and distended their full depth to facilitate the packing and unpacking of the same.

The object of the within described inven tion is to obviate the diliculty attending the proper fastening of this class of carpet bags, the frames being hitherto liable to spring out especially if the bags be filled to their utmost capacity.

The invention consists in the employment or use of supplementary catches or locks applied to the frames of the bag substantially as hereinafter fully shown and described to effect the desired end.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, B, represent the two frames of the carpet bag, connected by the joint a.

C, C, are the bag portions attached each to a frame, as shown in Fig. l.

The frame A, is provided with a flanch which covers the frame B, when the bag is closed, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 1. The bag is constructed in the usual way as regards the class referred to and therefore a more minute description is not necessary.

At the center of the upper part of one of the frames a lock D, is placed. This lock secures the upper ends or parts of the frames A, B, together, and at each side of the 'frames there is a catch E. These catches may be arranged in various ways, but a simple button would probably be preferable, the shanks e, of the buttons being secured to one frame A, and their heads f, allowed to pass through slots g in the frame B, when the heads f, are turned or adjusted in line with slots g, the buttons when through said slots being turned transversely with them, as shown in Fig. 2, and forming a secure fastening.

The buttons or catches E, secure the sides of the frames A, B, together, preventing them from springing out, a contingency which frequently occurred hitherto on account of the sides of the frames extending down to the bottom of the bag.

It is not essential that more than one lock D, be applied to the frames, although more may be applied if desired, but it is essential that at least one catch E, be at each side of the bag in order to effect the desired result.

By this invention this class of carpet bag is rendered equally as secure as the ordinary close bag while all the advantages attending the open bag are retained, the bag may be packed and unpacked with the greatest facility and the sides brought closely in contact and retained in such state by the buttons or catches E.

I do not claim as new any modification or construction of the bag, for they have been constructed precisely as herein shown and described, but

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The combination of the two frames A, B, with the catches E, E', substantially as and for the purpose specified.

J ONA. M. MATTHEWS.

Witnesses:

W. TUscH,

DAVID A. DEMAREsT. 

